Media and Communications Consultant (Part-Time)- Egypt

[Admin]

Countries: Egypt, Lebanon

Organization: Equality Now

Closing date: 1 Oct 2021

Location: Preferably Egypt but will consider Lebanon

Office: Remote/Work from Home

Contract hours: 3-4 days a week

Contract length: 5 months contract with a possibility of extension

Day rate: USD $125- $165 per day

About Equality Now

Equality Now is an international human rights organization dedicated to ending violence and discrimination against women and girls and promoting the use of the law to advance their human rights. With a global team of 47 staff members and offices in Beirut, London, Nairobi and New York as well as presence in Amman Jordan, Delhi India, Tbilisi Georgia, and Washington D.C USA, campaigns are centred on four programmatic areas: Legal Equality, End Sexual Violence, End Harmful Practices (including child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation – FGM), and End Sex Trafficking, with a cross-cutting focus on the unique needs of adolescent girls.

About the consultancy

Our teams in Africa and the Middle East have recently entered into a consortium called Young Women for Awareness, Agency, Advocacy and Accountability (YW4A). Led by the world YWCA the consortium consists of local, regional and international partners in the implementation of a 5-year programme that promotes young women’s leadership and contribution to the elimination of sexual and gender-based violence in Egypt, Kenya, South Sudan and Palestine. The programme brings together feminists, progressive faith allies, researchers and gender policy and advocacy experts to support the fulfilment of young women’s rights, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands Government.

Equality Now seeks the services of an innovative and collaborative Communication Consultant, with excellent stakeholder and project management skills who will work with Equality Now to: work with and contribute to the YW4A communications consortium group in line with agreed objectives and to help shape strategy and influence media narratives through training and briefing of journalists and influencers. Additionally we are seeking someone to help position Equality Now as an expert in our field by being a communications resource to our MENA team.

The consultant who should have strong all round communication skills, will be able to converse fluently in Arabic and have good English language skills. Additionally the person will have a flexible approach to working hours, to ensure the Consultant can connect with the wider global communications team and respond to reactive communications needs as well as the availability to travel.

Roles and responsibilities

Reporting to the Regional Communications Manager, Africa, the Consultant as part of Equality Now’s Global Communication team and working directly with the MENA and Africa program teams will undertake the following successive tasks:

Power of Women/YW4A

• Act as the communications representative for Equality Now within the YW4A consortium communications forum. Attending meetings, contributing to strategy discussions, actioning tasks in collaboration with the EN YW4A team and global communications team.
• In consultation with the YW4A Consortium and relevant Equality Now teams develop and implement a communications strategy that amplifies YW4A in international and regional spaces.
• Amplify the work of national partners via Equality Now channels.
• Respond to inbound media or event requests relating to the ENs role in YW4A.
• Create content for multiple channels in relation to the strategy, including digital and press media.
• Organize, create content for and support the delivery of identified training initiatives linked to YW4A.
• Work together with the YW4A team in the population of reports in line with donor priorities.
• Work closely with the YW4A team in the development of media advocacy training content for partners in the MENA region.

Communications work in the Middle East

• Act as communications resource to the Middle East team, being their go to person for communication needs.
• In conjunction with the MENA and the Communications team, create a calendar of strategic communications activities that proactively raise awareness of the issues that our work in the MENA addresses.
• Leverage media coverage and digital channels as advocacy tools to increase understanding about MENA focused campaign issues; build brand awareness about EN and POW work in MENA; and generate positive media coverage featuring EN & POW campaigns.
• Maximize media opportunities and secure positive media coverage for EN & POW by proactively pitching ideas to national, regional and international media; respond in a timely and effective way to incoming media enquiries; work with communications and programme team to provide expert comment. Expand our network of media contacts, including journalists, news editors and influencers reporting in and on the region.
• Write op-eds and press releases, and assist with placing them in the media
• Gather engaging case studies for communications output; conduct interviews, including with those who are extremely vulnerable, employing the utmost professionalism and sensitivity; ensure informed consent.
• Create content/events for social media, presentations, print based items, events, and press media.
• Monitor and report on MENA media featuring EN and POW; monitor media for strong news lines and developing regional stories of relevance and share timely updates with Equality Now staff.
• Ensure MENA work is represented in Equality Now’s global editorial calendar by attending regular meetings with the global team.
• Regional travel may be required.

Skills and experience

• ### At least 3 years working experience in communications in national, regional or international organizations.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills;
• Understanding/demonstrable experience of advocacy communications campaign strategy and project management;
• A good all rounder in ideating and delivering communication tactics: events, PR; social media; press etc.
• Must have demonstrable track record in placing stories in media outlets and have journalist contacts;
• High quality writing skills - that extend to digital channels, particularly social;
• A working understanding of how to use digital and social platforms - i.e.Twitter/ Facebook/ Instagram in the MENA region
• An understanding of human rights institutions regionally and nationally;
• Fluent in English and Arabic (written and verbal);
• Takes accountability for actions and; work with minimum supervision;
• Multimedia skills, such as photography, video and/or creating graphics, desirable;
• Facilitating events and training would be beneficial.

How to apply:

The applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of applicants anticipated for this role, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Equality Now is an Equal Opportunity employer. Equality Now is strong because it is diverse. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Equality Now does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Consultants are selected on the basis of ability, in accordance with all country and location specific laws.

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